Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Sea Monster Tavern (Monday, Please Add to Favorites)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Helibel completes an elaborate oil painting of the Monster’s face based on Sifa’s description. Although Sifa had expected a simple sketch, he is impressed by her talent and gives the painting to his father, Bison.
• Sifa learns that his mother, Enilu, has been teaching Helibel mysticism. Helibel is revealed to be a natural Beyonder who inherited part of Enilu’s Beyonder Characteristic and has already become an experienced Apprentice. Their younger brother Jom has no such ability.
• Enilu begins teaching both siblings Hermesian, planning to teach Sifa Spirit Vision separately. Over the next three days, Sifa studies the language and practices Spirit Vision, struggling more than someone on the Seer Pathway would.
• Remembering a flyer for the Sea Monster Tavern and clues that the original owner had visited it, Sifa decides to investigate. He disguises himself with a mask, hat, unfamiliar clothing, and a golden revolver, then secretly leaves the family estate.
• He travels through Qingxiang Road, a poor and dangerous district avoided by nobles and police, but reaches the Sea Monster Tavern without being attacked.
• Upon entering, Sifa is overwhelmed by the tavern’s foul mixture of smells. A bartender recognizes him and calls him “Duke,” suggesting that the original owner was a regular or had a known identity there.

Character Developments

• Sifa: Continues adapting to his Hunter abilities and noble life while investigating the original owner’s past. He becomes more proactive and adventurous, disguising himself and entering a dangerous district alone. His difficulty with Spirit Vision also highlights the limits of his current mystical training.
• Helibel: Demonstrates impressive artistic skill and growing independence. Her status as a natural Beyonder and experienced Apprentice reveals that she possesses significant mystical potential. She also shows a mature, impatient personality despite Sifa’s tendency to treat her like a child.
• Enilu: Is established as a knowledgeable Beyonder and a patient teacher. She actively trains both children in mysticism and plans individualized lessons for them.
• Bison: Remains occupied with his work but is shown to trust Sifa with delivering the painting.
• Jom: Is briefly characterized by contrast, lacking the Beyonder inheritance possessed by Helibel.

Significant Themes

• Family secrets and inherited power: Enilu’s hidden mystical identity and Helibel’s inherited Beyonder Characteristic reveal that supernatural abilities run through the family.
• Identity and disguise: Sifa conceals his noble identity while exploring the life and connections of the original owner, emphasizing his uncertain place between two identities.
• Mystical education and natural talent: The chapter contrasts Sifa’s painstaking practice with Helibel’s innate potential, while also noting differences between Beyonder Pathways.
• Class division: Sifa’s journey from the wealthy Golden Champagne Avenue to the impoverished and lawless Qingxiang Road highlights the sharp social divide in Enqi Town.
• The unknown past: The Sea Monster Tavern and the bartender’s recognition of “Duke” suggest that Sifa’s investigation will uncover important information about the original owner.

Character Interactions

• Sifa and Helibel share affectionate sibling banter: he praises her painting and ruffles her hair, while she objects to being treated like a child.
• Enilu introduces Helibel’s mystical training and teaches both siblings Hermesian, establishing a new family learning dynamic.
• Sifa briefly interacts with Bison when delivering the painting.
• The bartender’s recognition of Sifa as “Duke” creates the chapter’s main mystery and cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “Bounty Hunter”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa visits the Sea Monster Tavern to investigate the original owner’s past and recover missing pieces of his memory.
• The bartender, Sanchi, reveals that Sifa is known locally as “Duke” and is considered the town’s best bounty hunter. This surprises Sifa, who had not known the original owner possessed such a dangerous and skilled identity.
• Sanchi gives Sifa the results of an investigation he had commissioned: information about the Shadow Glove, a Beyonder weapon made from an unknown material. It enhances physical strength and can randomly summon a “Shadow Fist” that attacks both the body and mind, with greater effectiveness in darkness.
• Sifa realizes the original owner had been seeking Beyonder weapons and questions why a young nobleman would secretly work as a bounty hunter. He also becomes increasingly suspicious that the original owner’s death aboard the Alfalfa may have been deliberately arranged.
• Determined to grow stronger and protect himself from possible enemies, Sifa decides to obtain the Shadow Glove.
• Sanchi explains that the seller, Bridge, is in the tavern’s card room. For ten pounds, he reveals that Bridge recently arrived in town, appears to be in serious trouble, and is seeking a temporary bodyguard who is preferably a Beyonder.
• Sifa enters the card room, where Bridge has just won a game of Texas Hold’em. Sifa identifies himself as “Duke” and asks about purchasing the Beyonder weapon.
• Bridge dismisses the other players and begins negotiating privately with Sifa. The chapter ends as Sifa asks for the weapon’s price.

Character Developments

• Sifa: Becomes more aware of the original owner’s hidden life as a bounty hunter and his connection to supernatural weapons. His uncertainty about the past turns into caution and suspicion, especially regarding the possibility that his predecessor was murdered as part of a larger scheme. He also adopts a more intimidating persona through his mask, altered voice, weapon, and deliberate body language.
• The original owner: Is revealed to have been an exceptionally capable bounty hunter despite his status as a young nobleman. His interest in Beyonder weapons suggests he was pursuing power or preparing for dangers that Sifa does not yet understand.
• Sanchi: Acts as an information broker. He is guarded about his clients but readily offers details in exchange for money, showing both professional discretion and practical greed.
• Bridge: Is introduced as a skilled gambler and mysterious arms dealer. His need for a Beyonder bodyguard indicates that he is facing significant danger.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identities and secret lives: Sifa’s noble background contrasts sharply with his reputation as a masked bounty hunter, emphasizing the gap between public identity and private purpose.
• Memory and self-discovery: Sifa must reconstruct the original owner’s life from fragments, making every discovery potentially important or dangerous.
• Paranoia and survival: The possibility that the original owner’s death was engineered causes Sifa to question whether he is already being watched or targeted.
• Power and preparation: The Shadow Glove represents a practical means of increasing Sifa’s strength in a hostile supernatural world.
• Information as currency: Sanchi’s knowledge is directly tied to money, while Sifa’s questions and observations demonstrate that information may be as valuable as weapons.

Character Interactions

• Sifa and Sanchi: Their exchange establishes their familiar relationship and shows that Sifa’s former identity was well known at the tavern. Sanchi provides information, but only after being paid.
• Sifa and Bridge: Their first meeting is cautious and transactional. Sifa uses his reputation and intimidating appearance to project authority, while Bridge evaluates him as a possible buyer, bodyguard, or threat.
• Sifa and the tavern patrons: Sifa deliberately keeps his weapon visible and observes the gamblers without joining them, reinforcing his reputation and maintaining control over the encounter.

Chapter Summary: “Craving Knowledge (Requesting Monthly Tickets)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa uses Spirit Vision to examine Bridge, noticing poor digestion in his Ether Body and excitement in his Astral Body. This confirms that Bridge is anxious and likely involved in serious trouble.
• Bridge offers Sifa a mysterious Beyonder weapon: a dark, shadow-like half-finger glove. He asks for 650 pounds, or alternatively offers it for only 150 pounds if Sifa protects him for three days.
• Sifa refuses the protection arrangement because Bridge’s plan to leave by ship sounds suspicious, possibly involving an illegal “black ship.” Instead, he pays 450 pounds upfront and promises the remaining 200 pounds the next day.
• After leaving the card room, Sanchi offers Sifa another job: guarding a client involved in a transaction near White Beach, where a black ship will arrive in three days. The job pays 300 pounds, with additional compensation for complications. Sifa accepts.
• The next morning, Sifa sees his mother tending the garden and reflects on the revelation that she is a Beyonder connected to the powerful Abraham family.
• Wanting more knowledge, Sifa uses his remaining opportunity to activate the Message Board in the Book of Mysteries. Time freezes while the book is summoned, allowing him to read new replies about Beyonder pathways and sequences.

Character Developments

• Sifa demonstrates caution and financial independence. Although he is curious about Bridge’s situation, he refuses to risk becoming involved in an uncertain protection job merely to save money.
• He also begins taking his role as a Hunter seriously, accepting work both to earn money and to make his public identity more convincing.
• Sifa’s curiosity about supernatural knowledge deepens. He becomes increasingly interested in the Abraham family, Beyonder pathways, and the limits imposed by information censorship.
• Bridge is portrayed as desperate, financially strained, and eager to escape. His willingness to offer the weapon cheaply in exchange for protection suggests that his danger is substantial.
• Sanchi acts as Sifa’s intermediary in the bounty-hunter world, providing both the weapon lead and a new contract.
• Sifa’s mother is viewed with renewed mystery after Sifa remembers that she is a Beyonder trained by someone from the Abraham family.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as power: Sifa explicitly recognizes that knowledge is one of the greatest advantages in the supernatural world, motivating his effort to use the Message Board.
• Caution versus opportunity: Sifa chooses the safer, more expensive purchase rather than accepting Bridge’s suspicious protection offer, showing that he values avoiding danger over saving money.
• Identity and performance: By accepting the White Beach job, Sifa gains practical experience while strengthening his image as a capable Hunter.
• Hidden truths and censorship: The asterisks blocking parts of the Message Board reveal that supernatural knowledge is restricted, incomplete, or dangerous to access.
• The mystery of family and heritage: Sifa’s thoughts about his mother and the Abraham family hint that his own background may be tied to important supernatural secrets.

Character Interactions

• Sifa and Bridge: Their negotiation is polite but tense. Bridge attempts to persuade Sifa to protect him, while Sifa maintains control, refuses the risky arrangement, and establishes a clear payment deadline.
• Sifa and Sanchi: Sanchi trusts Sifa enough to recommend him for a high-priority job. Their interaction helps connect Sifa to the local Hunter network.
• Sifa and his mother: Although they do not directly converse in the chapter, Sifa’s observation of her leads him to reconsider how little he knows about her past and supernatural abilities.
• Sifa and the Message Board users: The anonymous replies offer fragmented advice about pathways such as Mystery Pryer, Prisoner, Assassin, Apothecary, Planter, and Hunter. Their repeated recommendation of the Assassin Pathway irritates Sifa, who is already committed to the Hunter Pathway.

Chapter Summary: “You’re Not Honest”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa consults the Book of Mysteries’ Message Board, where Watchers offer unreliable advice about the Hunter Pathway. One suggests that Hunter Sequence 7 Beyonders should begin gathering companions, though the explanation is blocked.
• Sifa asks the Watchers for information about the Abraham Family and the Tudor Empire, but using the Book of Mysteries severely drains his spirituality. He realizes that both reading its hidden knowledge and writing on the Message Board consume energy.
• After his mysticism lesson, Sifa’s mother, Enilu, tells him that he has mastered Hermesian and will soon begin learning Ritual Magic and charm-making. She and Sifa’s father leave together, while his sister Helibel hurriedly departs as well.
• Sifa discovers that Helibel has disguised herself as a newsboy and is investigating disappearances on Qingxiang Road. He follows her through an illusory doorway created with an Apprentice Beyonder ability.
• Inside a hidden room, Helibel reveals that several vulnerable people—including workers, vagrants, and those living alone—have gone missing. One victim is the mother of Aria, Sifa’s sister’s maid.
• Sifa notices a sweet floral scent on Helibel and identifies it as Moon Flower, suggesting that she is concealing more about the investigation than she admits.

Character Developments

• Sifa becomes more aware of the costs and limitations of the Book of Mysteries. His growing knowledge comes with a corresponding spiritual and physical burden.
• He also demonstrates sharper Hunter abilities, particularly his enhanced sense of smell, and uses humor and observation to test Helibel’s honesty.
• Helibel is shown to be adventurous, capable, and independently investigative. Although she claims to be merely curious, her concern for Aria and the missing people suggests genuine compassion.
• Enilu continues guiding Sifa’s mystical education and appears to have knowledge of the Abraham Family and Tudor history that she deliberately withholds.
• Aria is indirectly established as emotionally affected by her mother’s disappearance, strengthening the personal stakes of the mystery.

Significant Themes

• The cost of knowledge: Mystical information is not free; pursuing hidden truths consumes spirituality and may carry greater risks as Sifa’s authority grows.
• Secrecy and dishonesty: Nearly every important character withholds information. Sifa questions Enilu’s silence, while Helibel conceals her true motives.
• Family and concern: Helibel’s investigation appears motivated by loyalty and sympathy, despite her denial. Sifa likewise follows her to protect her.
• Identity and growth: The Watchers’ discussion about creating a unique Pathway raises questions about individuality, destiny, and what it means for Sifa to act as a true protagonist.
• The vulnerable and forgotten: The disappearances target socially isolated people, highlighting the danger faced by those with little protection or social influence.

Character Interactions

• Sifa interacts with the Watchers through the Message Board, seeking answers about historical mysteries.
• Enilu gives Sifa praise and further instructions regarding his mystical studies before leaving with his father.
• Sifa teases Helibel about possibly having a romantic interest and later confronts her about secretly investigating the disappearances.
• Helibel denies caring deeply about Aria, but her actions contradict her words.
• Sifa and Helibel cooperate cautiously, entering the hidden room together while Sifa investigates the clues surrounding the case.

Chapter Summary: “Strange Tree”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa and Helibel investigate the disappearance of Aria’s mother, Mrs. Gness.
• Inside Gness’s cottage, they find two cups and partially eaten muffins, suggesting that a visitor arrived and Gness left voluntarily rather than being abducted. The missing Moon Flowers and lack of struggle deepen the mystery.
• A neighbor initially refuses to cooperate, but Sifa gains her information by offering her a one-pound note. She reveals that Gness had been visited by an old woman who frequently gave speeches at Memorial Square.
• Sifa recognizes the woman as Paris, whom he had previously encountered. At the square, he joins the crowd and detects the strong scent of Moon Flowers coming from Paris, indicating that she may be connected to the disappearance.
• Sifa and Helibel locate Paris’s home with help from Old Cook. The house is surrounded by Moon Flowers and overshadowed by a massive Summer Oak.
• Entering through the rear yard, they discover a horrifying scene: the tree’s branches have pierced the corpses of Paris’s cats and dogs, with new shoots and leaves growing from their bodies. The animals hang from the branches like grotesque fruit.
• Realizing that Paris is dangerous or abnormal, Sifa orders Helibel to remain outside and seek help if necessary. He draws his Snake-Scale Pistol, cautiously approaches the house, and enters through a window after confirming that no immediate threat is present.

Character Developments

• Sifa demonstrates sharp deductive skills, noticing the clues left by Gness’s unfinished meal and correctly concluding that she departed willingly. He also uses practical social manipulation, bribing the hostile neighbor to obtain information.
• His supernatural senses become important when he detects the Moon Flower scent on Paris, linking her to the mystery.
• Sifa’s protective instincts emerge strongly when he orders Helibel to stay outside after discovering the corpses. Although he maintains a light, teasing manner earlier, the grotesque tree causes him to become serious and cautious.
• Helibel remains bold, direct, and resourceful. She questions the neighbor without hesitation, quickly agrees to investigate Paris’s house, and helps solve practical problems such as finding its location.
• Despite her courage, Helibel is visibly horrified by the tree and accepts Sifa’s judgment that she should not enter the house.
• Paris is presented as increasingly suspicious. Her connection to Gness, her association with Moon Flowers, and the unnatural tree filled with animal corpses suggest that she may possess dangerous or occult abilities.

Significant Themes

• Investigation and deduction: Ordinary details—cups, muffins, missing flowers, and neighborhood testimony—become important evidence.
• Appearance versus reality: Paris appears to be merely an old woman giving speeches, but her home conceals a disturbing supernatural practice.
• Corruption of nature: The Summer Oak has been transformed from a living tree into a grotesque structure that consumes or incorporates dead animals, blending plant life with decay.
• Family loyalty and protection: Sifa and Helibel work closely together, but Sifa assumes responsibility for keeping his younger sister safe.
• The hidden supernatural: Familiar settings such as a home, public square, and garden conceal disturbing forces beneath their ordinary surfaces.

Character Interactions

• Sifa and Helibel cooperate as investigative partners, balancing his analytical caution with her decisiveness.
• Sifa’s bribery of the neighbor contrasts with Helibel’s blunt questioning, showing their different approaches to gathering information.
• The neighbor’s hostility and later willingness to speak reveal how social pressure and money influence cooperation.
• Sifa and Helibel discuss the risks of investigating Paris’s house, with Sifa ultimately taking the lead and Helibel agreeing to follow his safety instructions.
• The chapter ends with Sifa entering Paris’s house alone, leaving the investigation poised to uncover what happened to Mrs. Gness and the true nature of the strange tree.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa secretly investigates old Mrs. Paris’s filthy, abandoned-looking house while wearing the Shadow Glove.
• He searches the rooms and discovers that, despite the house’s neglect, the storeroom and basement are unusually orderly.
• Before entering the basement, Sifa prepares simple traps, remembering to act cautiously as a Hunter.
• In the basement, he finds unfamiliar clothing and tools, including two sets of workers’ coveralls, suggesting that other people may have used the room.
• He discovers a disturbing wooden statue combining the features of a woman and a tree. Its appearance causes him to experience an overwhelming urge toward pleasure.
• Nearby, Sifa finds candles and a parchment containing an ominous incantation to “The Unseen,” involving concealment, desire, and the sacrifice of flesh, blood, and spirituality.
• He realizes that Mrs. Paris may have unknowingly been performing rituals for an evil deity under the impression that she was worshiping the Evernight Goddess. Sifa removes the parchment, intending to give it to the Church.
• The statue suddenly comes alive, emitting seductive sounds and pink smoke. Sifa resists its influence, shoots it repeatedly, and destroys it.
• The shattered statue releases a bloodlike liquid and causes Sifa a severe headache through a supernatural scream.
• Before he can investigate further, Sifa hears his sister Helibel cry out. He rushes outside and finds her frightened and pale.
• Helibel reports seeing someone—or something—inside a hollow in a large oak tree, leaving the investigation unresolved.

Character Developments

• Sifa: Demonstrates increasing caution, discipline, and professional awareness by setting traps, controlling his reactions to the statue, and prioritizing evidence collection. His Hunter instincts help him resist the statue’s psychological and supernatural influence.
• Helibel: Shows bravery by accompanying Sifa in disguise, but her fear after seeing a figure in the tree hollow reveals the escalating danger surrounding the investigation.
• Old Mrs. Paris: Is revealed to be connected to repeated occult rituals, though the chapter suggests she may have been deceived about the true identity of the being she worshiped.

Significant Themes

• Hidden evil beneath ordinary life: The shabby house conceals an organized supernatural threat.
• Deception and corrupted faith: The incantation suggests that an evil god’s worship is being disguised as devotion to a legitimate goddess.
• Temptation and self-control: The statue attacks through desire and pleasure rather than brute force, testing Sifa’s mental resistance.
• Investigation and preparation: Sifa’s traps, careful examination, and preservation of evidence emphasize the importance of caution when confronting unknown supernatural forces.
• Unseen threats: Both the concealed deity and the mysterious figure in the tree hollow reinforce the danger of what cannot yet be fully understood.

Character Interactions

• Sifa interacts mainly with the supernatural remnants of Mrs. Paris’s rituals, confronting the statue and rejecting its influence.
• After the attack, he reunites with Helibel and immediately checks whether she is injured, showing his protective concern for her.
• Helibel provides the next crucial clue by telling Sifa about the person hiding in the oak tree, shifting the investigation from the basement ritual to a possible living accomplice or further supernatural presence.

Summary: “The Mass of Corpses in the Tree Hollow”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa investigates a concealed tree hollow beneath the enormous Summer Oak after Helibel reports seeing something suspicious.
• Inside, he discovers a mutilated corpse and realizes that several murdered bodies have been hidden in the hollow. One victim is missing an arm and everything below the waist, horrifying Sifa and Helibel.
• Sifa alerts the authorities. The police, who had already been monitoring old Mrs. Paris, arrest her along with a filthy vagrant.
• The police excavate the hollow and uncover several dismembered corpses, including Aria’s mother, whose body shows signs of being bitten and mutilated.
• Mrs. Paris insists that she did nothing wrong, claiming she sent the victims to the “Nation of the Evernight” to grant them peace. She declares herself Blessed by Evernight and accuses Sifa of blasphemy, but Chief Kaoxi dismisses her as insane.
• The murders shock Enqi Town. Residents mourn the victims, while attendance at Saint Witte Church triples.
• Aria takes leave to arrange her mother’s funeral. Helibel grants her a week off, and Enilu provides five pounds toward the funeral expenses.
• That night, Sifa returns to the Sea Monster Tavern in disguise, wearing his Black-Iron Mask, Shadow Glove, and carrying the concealed Golden Revolver.
• He repays the two hundred pounds he owes Bridge and asks bartender Sanchi about his new employer. Sifa learns that the client is Doug, also known as “Black Tie,” the leader of Enqi Town’s largest gang.
• Sanchi begins explaining Doug’s impoverished and illegitimate background, describing how Doug was mocked as a child.

Character Developments

• Sifa demonstrates courage and initiative by investigating the hollow, reporting the crime, and cooperating with the police. Chief Kaoxi praises him as a righteous young nobleman who is genuinely changing.
• Sifa remains emotionally affected by the gruesome discovery, showing both physical revulsion and reluctance to touch the corpse.
• He also displays growing professionalism as a Hunter: he repays his debt, seeks information about his employer, and considers whether working for a gang conflicts with his principles.
• Helibel supports the investigation but is protected by Sifa from seeing the corpse directly.
• Aria becomes a victim’s grieving daughter after her mother’s murder and must leave work to arrange the funeral.
• Old Mrs. Paris is revealed as a religiously deluded murderer—or at least someone complicit in the killings—who justifies the deaths as salvation through Evernight.
• Chief Kaoxi acts decisively in the investigation and openly recognizes Sifa’s moral improvement.
• Sanchi provides information about Doug, though he insists on being paid for confidential details.

Significant Themes

• Religious fanaticism and distorted salvation: Mrs. Paris uses religious language to rationalize murder, presenting death as escape from suffering.
• Justice versus madness: The police intervene despite Paris’s claims of divine authority, emphasizing that personal belief cannot excuse atrocities.
• The exposure of hidden evil: The peaceful image of Enqi Town is shattered when the mass grave reveals brutal violence beneath its ordinary surface.
• Moral transformation: Sifa’s actions reinforce his effort to become a more responsible and principled person.
• Class and social origins: Doug’s introduction highlights poverty, illegitimacy, social stigma, and the harsh conditions that shaped his rise to power.
• Public grief and faith: The town’s mourning and the increased attendance at Saint Witte Church show how tragedy drives people toward communal religion.

Character Interactions

• Sifa warns Helibel to stay back and then prevents her from approaching the gruesome corpse.
• Sifa and Chief Kaoxi exchange praise and modesty after the police uncover the bodies, with Kaoxi crediting Sifa for the breakthrough.
• Mrs. Paris confronts and curses Sifa while being taken away, accusing him of opposing the goddess.
• Helibel and Enilu support Aria after her mother’s death by granting leave and arranging financial assistance.
• At the tavern, Sifa bargains with Sanchi for information, using money to overcome the bartender’s insistence on confidentiality.
• Sanchi introduces Doug as a gang leader who rose from extreme poverty and childhood humiliation, setting up Sifa’s next assignment.

Chapter Summary: “Skilled at Reporting”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa learns from bartender Sanchi about Doug, the ruthless leader of the Black Tie gang. Doug’s fear of dogs stems from being badly scarred by a stray dog as a child, while his formal clothing and requirement that gang members wear ties inspired the gang’s name.
• Sifa meets Doug at the tavern while disguised as the Black-Iron Mask. Doug’s guards attempt to disarm him, but Sifa swiftly subdues one man and shoots the weapons from the hands of the other two without killing them.
• Impressed by Sifa’s reputation and precision, Doug hires him to protect a shipment at White Beach two nights later. He initially offers £300, later promising at least £500, but refuses to explain the shipment’s nature.
• Doug eventually reveals that the “goods” are people from East Balam whom he intends to exploit by trafficking them into Loen. Sifa conceals his true reaction and agrees outwardly, while internally deciding to report Doug to Saint Witte Church rather than the police, whom he suspects may be compromised.
• After leaving, Sifa sends the Church a dangerous parchment covered in evil incantations through a child messenger. He watches as a priest discovers its contents and reacts with alarm, ensuring that the Church will investigate.
• Returning secretly to his manor, Sifa detects the fishy, musky odor of the Monster he encountered during a previous hunt. Realizing it has entered his room—possibly to take revenge—he calmly prepares an ambush.
• Pretending to put away his equipment, Sifa retrieves the Serpent-Scale Revolver and secretly aims through the wardrobe door at the creature’s hiding place. The chapter ends as he pulls the trigger.

Character Developments

• Sifa demonstrates exceptional combat skill, composure, and tactical intelligence. He refuses to surrender his weapon, treating it as essential to his survival, and successfully passes Doug’s test.
• He also reveals a strong moral code: although he accepts the assignment, he plans to expose Doug’s trafficking operation. His careful choice to contact the Church rather than the police shows his caution and distrust of corrupt authorities.
• Sifa’s calm response to the Monster’s presence highlights his discipline and ability to conceal fear under pressure.
• Doug is established as brutal, confident, and calculating, but also somewhat impressed by Sifa’s independence and professional standards. His willingness to reveal the truth only after Sifa challenges him suggests both arrogance and respect.
• The Monster becomes a more immediate threat, apparently capable of tracking Sifa and infiltrating his home.

Significant Themes

• Moral compromise and covert justice: Sifa outwardly cooperates with a criminal in order to obtain information, while secretly working against him.
• Trust and corruption: His reluctance to involve the police reflects a world where official institutions may be compromised, making clandestine channels necessary.
• Professional identity and independence: Sifa refuses to be controlled or disarmed, insisting on his autonomy as a Hunter.
• Appearance versus reality: Doug’s respectable suits and ties conceal his criminal empire, while Sifa’s calm, professional demeanor hides his deeper intentions.
• Courage under pressure: Both the meeting with Doug and the Monster’s ambush test Sifa’s ability to remain composed and act decisively.

Character Interactions

• Sifa and Sanchi: Sanchi provides Doug’s background, helping Sifa assess the danger and character of his prospective client.
• Sifa and Doug: Their meeting is a contest of intimidation and judgment. Doug tests Sifa’s abilities, while Sifa challenges Doug’s secrecy and refuses to accept the job blindly.
• Sifa and Doug’s guards: Sifa effortlessly neutralizes their weapons, establishing his superiority and preventing the meeting from becoming a genuine attack.
• Sifa and Saint Witte Church: Sifa indirectly alerts the Church to a supernatural threat by sending the cursed parchment, demonstrating his strategic use of outside institutions.
• Sifa and the Monster: Their confrontation is a silent battle of patience and deception, ending with Sifa taking the initiative and firing first.

Chapter Summary: “Late-Night Visitor”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A Monster infiltrates Sifa’s bedroom and attacks him from the shadows.
• Sifa uses the Serpent-Scale Revolver to fire at it, but misses repeatedly and destroys much of the room’s furniture.
• When the revolver runs out of ammunition, the Monster’s terrifying words trigger an unnatural wave of fear, forcing Sifa toward the window and into the courtyard’s lamplight.
• The Monster lunges at Sifa like a beast. Sifa counters with a powerful punch enhanced by the Shadow Glove, which summons a second fist made of shadow.
• The combined attack blasts the Monster through the window. Though badly injured, it escapes into the courtyard shadows after being chased by the family’s Desi Hounds.
• Sifa’s family arrives. He explains the attack but conceals his secret activities as “Duke” at the Sea Monster Tavern.
• Enilu discovers the Monster’s blood and offers to divine its location. She declares that she will intervene personally if necessary, despite apparently being restricted from acting freely.
• Enilu warns Sifa not to face future dangers alone, emphasizing that he should rely on his family.
• After moving to another bedroom, Sifa falls asleep but is soon awakened by an apparent supernatural visitor.
• An inspector named Lewis arrives to question Sifa about his encounter with the wolf pack and Monster during his mountain expedition.
• An unseen or unnoticed man in white secretly advises Sifa, warning him that Lewis is testing him and encouraging him to lie.
• Sifa gives carefully prepared answers, attributing his survival and combat ability to luck and ordinary training.
• The mysterious man threatens Lewis in a disturbing, playful manner, suggesting he wants to mutilate or kill the inspector.
• Lewis eventually asks Sifa directly whether he is a Beyonder.

Character Developments

• Sifa: Demonstrates improved combat ability, quick reflexes, and increasing mastery of the Shadow Glove. He remains cautious, hiding his identity and supernatural activities from authorities. His willingness to fight alone is challenged by Enilu’s warning.
• Enilu: Reveals both strong protective instincts and considerable supernatural ability. Her ability to track the Monster through its blood suggests expertise in divination, though her comment implies political or familial restrictions connected to the Abraham name.
• Bison: Reacts angrily to the Monster’s attack and is protective of Sifa, though he appears concerned about Enilu’s decision to act personally.
• Inspector Lewis: Presents himself as polite and methodical but conducts a probing investigation into Sifa’s abilities and past encounters. His final question directly threatens to expose Sifa’s secret.
• The mysterious white-shirted man: Acts as an invisible or unrecognized companion to Sifa, providing warnings and displaying a cruel, violent personality. His relationship with Sifa and his ability to remain undetected are left unexplained.

Significant Themes

• Protection and family: The attack highlights the danger surrounding Sifa, while Enilu and Bison emphasize that he does not need to confront threats alone.
• Secrecy and deception: Sifa conceals his identity as “Duke” and carefully lies during Lewis’s interrogation to protect his supernatural status.
• Supernatural danger invading ordinary life: The Monster’s attack brings hidden threats directly into the family manor, showing that Sifa’s enemies are becoming bolder.
• Power and restraint: Enilu’s inability—or reluctance—to act freely hints at larger rules, obligations, or political dangers limiting powerful characters.
• Uncertainty and hidden identities: The Monster, the mysterious visitor, and Lewis’s investigation all reinforce the chapter’s atmosphere of suspicion and concealed motives.

Important Character Interactions

• Sifa battles the Monster using firearms and the Shadow Glove, ultimately driving it away.
• Enilu comforts and advises Sifa while offering to track the wounded Monster.
• Sifa and Enilu discuss facing danger together, strengthening their mother-son bond.
• Lewis interrogates Sifa about his combat skills and supernatural encounters.
• The mysterious man secretly coaches Sifa and threatens Lewis while remaining invisible to the inspector.
• The chapter ends with Lewis confronting Sifa with the crucial question of whether he is a Beyonder.

Chapter Summary: “The ‘Expert’ Arrives”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Inspector Lewis finishes questioning Sifa about the recent murders, he leaves the manor without learning the truth about Sifa’s hidden condition or supernatural identity.
• The mysterious man hiding behind Lewis—apparently connected to Sifa and referred to as “Li Zexi”—briefly touches the inspector’s face and voices violent, cannibalistic thoughts. Sifa remains calm, goes to sleep, and seemingly ignores the danger.
• Sifa wakes feeling unusually refreshed and spiritually vigorous, suggesting that his supernatural abilities or condition are continuing to develop.
• During breakfast, Bison discusses the mayor’s request for a donation to municipal affairs. Sifa proposes creating a managed Municipal Construction Fund instead, using the money to pave roads, improve sewage systems, enhance public health, attract tourists, and strengthen Bison’s political reputation.
• Bison is impressed by Sifa’s practical and mature reasoning and decides to meet the mayor to discuss the proposal.
• Chief Kaoxi arrives with three inspectors from the Desi County Police Department, who have been sent to investigate the bloody murders.
• The chapter ends as Sifa meets the “experts” and begins wondering whether they belong to one of the major supernatural organizations associated with the churches.

Character Developments

• Sifa: Demonstrates increasing composure, strategic thinking, and political awareness. His municipal proposal shows that he can connect public welfare, economic development, family interests, and his father’s career. He is also becoming more curious about the supernatural institutions operating in the world.
• Bison: Recognizes Sifa’s maturity and changing personality, expressing pride in his son. He appears willing to adopt Sifa’s ideas and use them to improve both the town and his own public standing.
• Li Zexi / the hidden man: Displays a disturbing, violent personality and seems to share some mental or physical connection with Sifa. His impulsive hostility contrasts sharply with Sifa’s calm indifference.
• Inspector Lewis: Remains unaware of the strange presence behind him and departs after his investigation, leaving unresolved questions about what he suspected.
• Chief Kaoxi and the three inspectors: Introduced as the official investigative force sent to handle the murders, signaling that the case is becoming more serious and attracting outside attention.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identities and supernatural secrecy: Sifa conceals his true nature while official investigators begin probing the murders and possibly the supernatural forces behind them.
• Duality and inner conflict: The contrast between Sifa’s calm behavior and Li Zexi’s murderous impulses suggests a divided identity or dangerous internal presence.
• Maturity and transformation: Sifa’s family sees him as changed, while his actions show growing intelligence, confidence, and long-term planning.
• Power, reputation, and public welfare: Sifa’s development plan demonstrates how economic improvement and genuine public service can also be used to advance political influence.
• The arrival of outside authority: The county inspectors’ appearance expands the scope of the murder investigation and hints at the larger organizations governing supernatural affairs.

Character Interactions

• Sifa and Inspector Lewis exchange information during the investigation, though Sifa avoids revealing anything significant.
• Li Zexi silently interacts with Lewis in a threatening manner, while Sifa refuses to respond to the provocation.
• Sifa and Bison have a constructive father-son discussion in which Sifa earns his father’s admiration through his policy proposal.
• Chief Kaoxi formally introduces the three county inspectors to Bison and Sifa, setting up their involvement in the murder investigation.
• Sifa observes the inspectors closely, especially the refined Inspector Lewis, the gloomy young male inspector, and the lively red-haired female inspector, while trying to determine which supernatural faction they represent.

Chapter Summary: “A Lead”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa is introduced to three inspectors investigating the recent murders: Lewis, Jeffrey, and Martha.
• Inspector Lewis asks for Sifa’s help because he has encountered the killer multiple times and recently solved a murder and body-disposal case.
• Bison initially refuses, believing the investigation is too dangerous for his son, but Sifa volunteers. Sifa wants to use the inspectors’ expertise to hunt the Monster targeting him and further embody the Hunter role to accelerate his potion’s digestion.
• Chief Kaoxi supports Sifa’s involvement, emphasizing the need to solve the three bloody cases before the town’s holiday season.
• The investigation gains a lead when Cook, Bison’s coachman, recognizes the face in a previously recovered oil painting. He believes it resembles Ain’s severely deformed grandson, whom he saw about a month earlier.
• Lewis decides to investigate Ain’s farmhouse, and Sifa joins the group so he can identify the killer if necessary.
• Bison provides his enclosed carriage and instructs the inspectors to ensure Sifa’s safety.
• On the journey, Martha casually offers Sifa candy, while Jeffrey discusses shopping; Lewis reminds them to focus on the investigation.
• The group arrives at Ain’s isolated, gloomy farmhouse, where two aggressive black dogs guard the entrance.
• Before approaching, Martha uses a red-crystal pendulum to divine whether supernatural danger is present. After repeating her ritual seven times, the pendant rotates counterclockwise, confirming supernatural danger inside.

Character Developments

• Sifa: Becomes more proactive and confident. Rather than merely defending himself from the Monster, he chooses to pursue it with official investigators. He also carefully conceals the Shadow Glove while bringing his Serpent-Scale Revolver for protection. His excitement at witnessing Martha’s supernatural ability reflects his growing acceptance of the extraordinary world around him.
• Bison: Shows strong protective concern for Sifa but ultimately respects his son’s decision and supports the investigation by providing transportation and a lead.
• Inspector Lewis: Establishes himself as serious, organized, and responsible. He directly recruits Sifa, promises to protect him, and insists that Sifa remain nearby if danger appears.
• Inspector Martha: Appears relaxed and playful, offering Sifa candy, but demonstrates genuine supernatural expertise through her pendulum divination.
• Inspector Jeffrey: Comes across as more casual and practical, showing interest in shopping even during the investigation.
• Cook: Provides the crucial clue connecting the oil painting to Ain’s grandson, despite his uncertainty about the child’s rapid apparent growth.

Significant Themes

• Taking initiative against danger: Sifa moves from passive self-defense to actively hunting the Monster.
• Trust and protection: Bison’s reluctance contrasts with Sifa’s willingness to accept risk, while Lewis and the other inspectors assume responsibility for Sifa’s safety.
• The supernatural entering ordinary life: The investigators’ official status is reinforced by Martha’s divination, confirming that the murders involve forces beyond normal crime.
• Identity and transformation: The strange growth and deformation of Ain’s grandson suggest unnatural change, while Sifa continues shaping his identity as a Hunter.
• Growing integration into the hidden world: Sifa’s excitement at seeing genuine supernatural abilities shows that he is becoming increasingly involved in the secret world surrounding the murders.

Character Interactions

• Lewis respectfully appeals to Bison for Sifa’s assistance, while Bison firmly objects before yielding to Sifa’s own wishes.
• Chief Kaoxi reinforces Lewis’s request by stressing the urgency of solving the murders.
• Bison and Cook exchange information that gives the inspectors their first concrete lead.
• Sifa asserts himself by volunteering to join Lewis, Jeffrey, and Martha, despite his father’s concerns.
• During the carriage ride, Martha’s friendly candy offering contrasts with Lewis’s serious instructions and Jeffrey’s mundane conversation.
• At the farmhouse, Martha’s supernatural warning changes the group’s approach, confirming that the investigation has entered dangerous territory.

Chapter Summary: “A Diary”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Miss Red Hair assures the group that there is no immediate danger, though Lewis insists they remain cautious while investigating a sinister farmhouse.
• Sifa recognizes that Martha is a Seer, following the same Pathway as another transmigrator from his hometown. Her supernatural influence appears connected to the sudden sleep of the farmhouse’s guard dogs.
• The investigators discover that someone has fled the farmhouse on horseback. Lewis and Jeffrey enter the house while the others wait outside.
• Inside, a swarm of red-eyed crows bursts out. They had been feeding on the decomposing bodies of an elderly man and a young woman, identified as Old Ain and his daughter Saila.
• Jeffrey determines that the victims have been dead for more than two days and that their remaining spirituality has dissipated. He uses a mint-and-tobacco-smelling potion to help the group endure the stench.
• Upstairs, the officers discover evidence of an “evil ritual,” a Marionettist, and a secret organization. They prevent Sifa from entering the room where they are investigating, suggesting that the contents may be sensitive or dangerous.
• Sifa searches another bedroom and finds a diary. Its entries reveal that the diary’s owner arrived in the town, deceived Old Ain, and claimed he could cure or normalize Ain’s intellectually disabled daughter.
• The writer followed instructions from someone named Haimok, altered a prayer ritual, and received a response from a supposed god. He then caused Saila to become pregnant through a supernatural “breath bestowed by God,” implying that the child was part of a larger occult plan.

Character Developments

• Sifa continues to demonstrate caution, initiative, and investigative skill. He notices supernatural disturbances, protects Martha, and secretly examines the bedroom and diary despite being excluded from the officers’ investigation.
• Lewis acts as the responsible leader, balancing caution with decisive action. He organizes the farmhouse search and appears concerned about concealing sensitive information from Sifa.
• Martha is confirmed or strongly implied to be a Seer. Her divination is initially dismissed by Lewis, but her abilities clearly affect the environment. The grisly discovery overwhelms her physically, showing the psychological cost of the investigation.
• Jeffrey displays remarkable physical strength and specialized knowledge of death and corpses. His baton and expertise suggest that he is a capable supernatural investigator.
• Old Ain and Saila are revealed to have been manipulated by the diary’s owner. Ain was deceived by promises that his daughter could live normally, while Saila became an unwilling participant—or victim—in a ritualistic pregnancy.
• The diary’s owner emerges as an arrogant, manipulative occultist seeking power and recognition, particularly revenge or superiority over someone named Follett.

Significant Themes

• Deception and exploitation: The diary’s owner exploits Old Ain’s hopes for his daughter and uses religious claims to manipulate the family.
• Corrupted faith and false gods: The writer believes he has contacted a god, but the “divine” response is linked to an evil ritual and supernatural pregnancy, raising doubts about what entity he truly worships.
• The cost of supernatural investigation: The investigators must confront death, spiritual danger, and disturbing evidence, while Martha’s reaction emphasizes the human toll.
• Hidden conspiracies: References to Marionettists, secret organizations, Haimok, and the mysterious child suggest that the farmhouse incident is part of a broader occult scheme.
• Curiosity versus authority: Although Sifa is officially kept outside part of the investigation, his curiosity and observational abilities lead him to uncover crucial evidence independently.

Character Interactions

• Lewis reassures the group through cautious leadership but dismisses Martha’s divination, creating mild tension between them.
• Sifa quietly advises Old Cook to return to the carriage and later helps Martha recover from vomiting by giving her a handkerchief.
• Lewis and Jeffrey work closely together during the search, with Jeffrey using his strength to break down the door and his expertise to identify the condition of the corpses.
• Sifa notices that Lewis and the others deliberately lower their voices and shut a door while discussing the ritual, suggesting limited trust or confidentiality.
• The diary reveals the manipulative relationship between its author, Old Ain, and Saila, as well as the author’s rivalry with Follett and dependence on Haimok’s occult instructions.
  The chapter ends with Sifa realizing that Saila’s pregnancy was supernatural and questioning the identity of the “god” worshiped by the diary’s author.

Chapter Summary: “Volunteering”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa reads the diary of the hidden mastermind behind the town’s recent supernatural incidents.
• The diary reveals that Saila was used as a vessel to give birth to twins. One child died prematurely, while the surviving child—named Gorey by Old Ain—developed at an unnatural speed and required enormous amounts of flesh and blood.
• The diary’s owner first fed Gorey livestock, then began using vagrants and other vulnerable people as sacrifices and food.
• Paris was manipulated into believing she had been blessed by Evernight. The mastermind gave her a prayer incantation, turning her into a useful accomplice who lured victims to him.
• Gorey developed the ability to control and alter animals. As he became increasingly uncontrollable, he wandered into town and began killing people despite being given food.
• The diary confirms that Gorey killed his own grandfather, Old Ain, and his mother, Saila.
• Gorey was attacked by someone he believed to be the Baron’s son, and the diary identifies Sifa as a previous threat. The mastermind considered killing Sifa but hesitated because of his noble status.
• The diary reveals that its owner was hiding near Paris’s house when Sifa discovered the crimes, narrowly avoiding capture.
• The final entry states that the mastermind urgently needs a large number of sacrifices, placing the entire town in danger.
• Sifa gives the diary to Inspector Lewis and the other investigators. They immediately end their search and return to town to coordinate with the mayor and Chief Kaoxi.
• Sifa volunteers to serve as bait, suggesting that the mastermind’s hatred of him could be used to lure the enemy out.
• Lewis agrees to consider the plan, while emphasizing the danger. The chapter ends with Lewis acknowledging that Martha’s earlier divination correctly predicted Sifa’s usefulness in the investigation.

Character Developments

• Sifa demonstrates bravery, moral responsibility, and strategic thinking. Although he understands that using himself as bait is dangerous, he is willing to risk his life to prevent a larger catastrophe.
• The diary’s owner is exposed as manipulative, cruel, and calculating. He treats Gorey as a tool, exploits Paris’s faith, and views vulnerable townspeople as disposable resources.
• Gorey is shown to be a rapidly growing, increasingly intelligent and dangerous creature. His behavior changes from controlled dependence to rebellion and violence.
• Paris is revealed to have been manipulated rather than acting as the original mastermind. Her belief that she was Evernight’s Blessed was deliberately engineered.
• Lewis treats Sifa as a valuable ally and recognizes his courage, while still trying to manage the risks of his proposed plan.
• Martha is pleased that her spiritual intuition has been proven accurate.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and exploitation: The mastermind weaponizes religion and vulnerable people, turning Paris’s faith and the townspeople’s desperation into tools.
• The cost of unchecked ambition: Gorey’s unnatural creation and rapid growth lead to violence, loss of control, and numerous deaths.
• Moral responsibility and sacrifice: Sifa chooses to risk himself for the safety of the town, contrasting with the mastermind’s selfish use of others as sacrifices.
• Appearance versus reality: Paris believes herself to be blessed, but she is actually being exploited; the supposed “miracle” of Gorey’s birth conceals a horrifying plan.
• Emerging danger: The final request for more sacrifices suggests that the events are part of a larger ritual or impending catastrophe.

Character Interactions

• Sifa reads and interprets the diary, gradually connecting its entries to the deaths of Saila, Old Ain, and Paris.
• He hands the diary to Lewis, Martha, and Jeffrey, who recognize the immediate threat to the town.
• Sifa proposes using the mastermind’s hatred of him to draw the enemy out, prompting concern from Martha and measured approval from Lewis.
• Lewis and Martha later discuss Sifa’s role, with Lewis admitting that Martha’s divination accurately predicted his importance to the investigation.

Chapter Summary: “Mystic Artisan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa finishes reporting his investigation into the murders and disappearances to his parents, Bison and Enilu, after sending inspectors to the police station.
• The family realizes that the bloody cases, missing townspeople, and the monster Goro are connected to an evil God. Goro’s actions and blood had been protected by divine power, which explains why Enilu’s divination repeatedly failed to locate him.
• Enilu warns Sifa that attempting to divine the God’s identity could expose her to Its gaze, causing madness or Loss of Control. She urges Sifa never to look directly at Gods or carelessly investigate matters involving Them.
• Bison advises the family to avoid further involvement and leave the matter to the inspectors. Sifa then returns to his room.
• In private, Sifa summons the Book of Mysteries using the incantation “Eye That Sees All” and “God who overlooks all things.”
• He discovers that a previously locked symbol on the book has become clear: a cube surrounded by images of weapons and tools. This reveals the newly unlocked function, Mystic Artisan.
• The Book explains that Sifa’s adventure biography has received rewards from mysterious “Dimension Observers” or “Watchers.” Their gifts provide him with Dimension Crystals:
  • Endless Mountains and Seas: 10 crystals
  • Faceless: 6 crystals
  • Number 20170818032705561: 1 crystal
  • Joker: 15 crystals
• With these rewards, Sifa’s total rises to 32 Dimension Crystals, satisfying the requirement to unlock Mystic Artisan.
• Mystic Artisan allows Sifa to influence mystical items through four functions:
  1. Identification — reveals an item’s origin, abilities, and side effects.
  2. Dissociation — extracts its Beyonder Characteristic.
  3. Enhancement — improves its abilities.
  4. Sealing — reduces its negative effects.
• Because of Sifa’s current Knowledge Authority, the function only works on mystical items corresponding to Sequence 8 and below and cannot affect Sealed Artifacts. A future function called Creation will become available after his Knowledge Authority increases.
• Sifa tests the new power on the Shadow Glove. Identification costs 3 Dimension Crystals, reducing his supply from 32 to 29.
• The identification shows him visions of the glove’s former owner: a ruthless man who murdered multiple people, was eventually hunted down and killed, and left behind a shadow-like Beyonder Characteristic that became the glove.
• The Book identifies the item as a Sequence 8 Abyss Pathway artifact made from the characteristic of an Unwinged Angel.

Character Developments

• Sifa becomes more aware of the dangers posed by Gods and divine interference, while also growing increasingly excited about the possibilities offered by the Book of Mysteries.
• His curiosity and ambition are evident as he immediately experiments with Mystic Artisan rather than merely reading about it.
• Enilu is shown to be knowledgeable but cautious. Her fear of divine attention reinforces the seriousness of the supernatural threat.
• Bison acts protectively and pragmatically, preferring that the family withdraw from the investigation.
• The mysterious Watchers become more significant, demonstrating that their interest and rewards can directly affect Sifa’s abilities and resources.

Significant Themes

• The danger of divine knowledge: Investigating Gods can lead to madness, Loss of Control, or fatal attention.
• Knowledge and power: Sifa’s growing Knowledge Authority unlocks increasingly powerful abilities, but his limited understanding also restricts what he can safely do.
• The influence of observers: The Watchers resemble distant gods or readers whose attention can alter events and empower characters within the world.
• Curiosity versus caution: Sifa’s eagerness to explore Mystic Artisan contrasts with his parents’ warnings, highlighting the risks of pursuing supernatural power.
• The nature of mystical objects: The Shadow Glove is revealed not merely as a tool but as the remnant of a violent life and a transformed Beyonder Characteristic.

Character Interactions

• Sifa reports the investigation to Bison and Enilu, prompting a discussion about the evil God connected to Goro.
• Enilu warns Sifa directly about divine dangers and urges him to avoid exposing himself to Gods’ gazes.
• Bison supports Enilu’s caution and tells Sifa to leave the remaining investigation to the inspectors.
• Alone in his room, Sifa interacts with the Book of Mysteries and the Watchers’ rewards, then tests the Mystic Artisan function on the Shadow Glove.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa examines the Shadow Glove’s newly revealed drawbacks. Wearing it for more than forty-eight consecutive hours makes the user cold-blooded, while wearing it for over ten days permanently erases their conscience. Animals—especially spiritually perceptive cats, dogs, and horses—will also dislike and react aggressively toward the wearer.
• Deciding the risks are manageable, Sifa uses the Book of Mysteries to strengthen the glove at the cost of twelve Dimension Crystals, leaving him with seventeen.
• The strengthened Shadow Glove gains a 10% chance of summoning a Shadow Fist when attacking. In darkness or shadows, the chance rises to 50%, and the attack becomes a more powerful Shadow Combo.
• Sifa discovers that his adventure has gained over 300 bookmarks and follows, earning another use of the Message Board. The replies provide information about the Abraham Family, including that its ancestor nearly became a True God and that the family was later cursed.
• Reading, appraisal, and strengthening consume too much of Sifa’s spirituality, causing a severe headache. He dismisses the Book of Mysteries and rests.
• While rereading the Creation Myth from his mother’s cottage, Sifa finds a hidden yellowed page written in simplified Chinese. He realizes it may be part of Emperor Roselle’s diary.
• The diary entries reveal Roselle’s womanizing nature, his complicated relationships with several women, and his attempts to protect his children from “charlatans.”
• Excited by the discovery, Sifa leaves to ask Enilu whether his mother possesses more items connected to Roselle’s diary.

Character Developments

• Sifa demonstrates practical judgment by accepting the Shadow Glove’s manageable side effects while remaining cautious about its long-term dangers.
• His strengthening of the glove shows his willingness to invest resources in gaining greater combat power.
• Sifa becomes more skeptical of the Watchers after discovering that they can provide incorrect information. He resolves to examine their claims carefully rather than trust them blindly.
• The revelations about the Abraham Family deepen Sifa’s curiosity about his mother’s teacher and the curse affecting the family.
• His discovery of the diary sharply intensifies his interest in Emperor Roselle and suggests a possible connection between Sifa’s world, his previous life, and the larger mysteries surrounding transmigration.

Significant Themes

• Power and its costs: The Shadow Glove becomes stronger, but its use carries moral, psychological, and social consequences. Sifa must constantly weigh benefits against risks.
• The unreliability of knowledge: Even supernatural “Watchers” can make mistakes, emphasizing the danger of accepting information without verification.
• Hidden history and buried secrets: The Abraham Family’s near-divine ancestor, its curse, and Roselle’s diary all point toward concealed truths that may affect the present.
• Identity and connection across worlds: The simplified Chinese writing links Sifa’s current world with his former life and hints at the significance of transmigrators.
• Human flaws behind legendary figures: Roselle is revealed not merely as a legendary emperor, but as an irreverent, lustful, and deeply human individual.

Character Interactions

• Sifa interacts with the Watchers through the Message Board, receiving contradictory information about the Abraham Family and Tudor.
• His thoughts repeatedly return to his mother and her teacher, especially when considering why she might hide the family’s history.
• The diary describes Roselle’s encounters with Miss Copperfield, Mrs. Flonard, Miss Ithaca, and Miss Harper, presenting his personal life and relationships.
• Sifa plans to question Enilu about whether his mother left behind additional Roselle-related artifacts.

Chapter Summary: Night at White Beach

Key plot points and events

• Sifa visits his mother, Enilu, and shows her a page from Emperor Roselle’s Diary, which he found hidden inside a copy of Creation Myth. Enilu explains that the symbols are Roselle’s secret writing. She once tried to decipher them using mathematics, ancient languages, and mysticism but could understand only the numerical symbols.
• Enilu tells Sifa that genuine pages from Roselle’s notes are rare and often mixed with convincing forgeries. Sifa decides to collect more pages and attempt to decode them, though Enilu warns him not to neglect his formal studies.
• The following day, Sifa and his sister Helibel begin lessons in ritual magic and charm-making. They learn about the special materials, prayers, incantations, markings, and spiritual techniques required for these practices.
• Sifa discovers that he has little talent for either subject, while Helibel excels, emphasizing the difference between their abilities.
• That night, Sifa leaves home disguised as the bounty hunter Duke, carrying his Golden Revolver and Shadow Glove. He travels to White Beach to meet Doug, the leader of the Black Tie gang.
• At the beach, Sifa finds Doug and his men beating a suspected traitor. Doug prepares to execute the man, but Sifa intervenes by forcing the gun downward and causing the shot to strike the sand. Doug then demands an explanation.

Character development

• Sifa continues balancing his identity as a nobleman and his secret life as the bounty hunter Duke. He remains curious and ambitious, particularly regarding Roselle’s mysterious symbols, but also accepts that he must prioritize his education.
• His lack of ability in ritual magic and charm-making reveals a weakness in areas connected to formal mystical practice. At the same time, his willingness to study and experiment shows his persistence.
• Enilu is portrayed as intelligent, affectionate, and experienced in mysticism. She supports Sifa’s interests while cautioning him against becoming distracted.
• Helibel demonstrates superior talent in ritual magic and charm-making, establishing her as more naturally gifted than Sifa in these disciplines.
• Doug is shown to be brutal, domineering, and vindictive. His casual treatment of the suspected traitor confirms his violent leadership style and creates immediate tension with Sifa.

Significant themes

• Knowledge and secrecy: Roselle’s coded writings represent hidden knowledge that remains inaccessible even to skilled scholars. Sifa’s desire to decipher them reflects the broader danger and fascination of forbidden or concealed information.
• Family and mentorship: Enilu’s lessons combine affection with discipline, showing the family as a source of both emotional support and structured training.
• Talent versus effort: Helibel’s natural skill contrasts with Sifa’s difficulty, suggesting that magical ability is not evenly distributed, though Sifa remains determined to improve.
• Identity and moral responsibility: As Duke, Sifa operates outside his ordinary social role. His intervention at White Beach shows that he is unwilling to remain passive when confronted with cruelty, even while dealing with criminals.
• Violence and power: Doug uses fear and public punishment to maintain control, while Sifa’s interruption challenges that authority.

Character interactions

• Sifa and Enilu share a warm, trusting exchange about Roselle’s diary, with Enilu offering both information and maternal guidance.
• Sifa and Helibel attend lessons together, though their contrasting abilities become clear.
• Sifa’s encounter with Doug shifts from a planned meeting into a confrontation. Doug expects Duke to accept the gang’s methods, but Sifa’s intervention directly challenges Doug’s authority and sets up the chapter’s central conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Hell Aboard Ship”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa confronts Doug, leader of the Black Tie organization, after Doug’s men accuse someone of betrayal. Sifa emphasizes that the mission must not be compromised and warns that anyone damaging his reputation—including Doug—will face consequences.
• Doug appears to dismiss the “traitor,” ordering him to leave Enqi Town, but then shoots him in the back as he escapes. He treats the killing casually, claiming it will not delay the mission or harm his reputation.
• Sifa and the Black Tie members travel along the coast to meet a multi-masted ship captained by Banjie. The ship is involved in smuggling goods and transporting people overseas without official tickets.
• Sifa recognizes Bridge, a man who had previously tried to hire him as a bodyguard, boarding the ship with another Hunter. This is apparently the vessel Bridge intended to use for his journey.
• When the ship fails to respond to the Black Tie’s signals, several gunshots erupt from aboard it, followed by silence. Doug reveals that the cargo is extremely important to a powerful “adult,” suggesting that his organization serves someone above him.
• Despite Sifa’s warning against boarding, Doug insists. They row to the ship and enter the unlit cabin.
• In the hold, Sifa detects the smells of alcohol, sweat, urine, and blood, along with an unnatural chill and an overwhelming sense of death.
• Bridge is found dead, his back crushed, while his bodyguard has been brutally dismembered.
• Deeper in the hold, they discover many dead sailors and passengers, including both Loen and Balamese people. Each corpse has a fist-sized hole in the abdomen, and their internal organs have been removed.
• The victims’ faces show strange expressions of satisfaction rather than fear or pain, implying they may have died while experiencing unnatural pleasure.
• Among the bodies, Sifa notices a disturbing statue combining the forms of a tree and a woman—the same type of statue he previously saw in Old Mrs. Paris’s basement.

Character Developments

• Sifa: Remains controlled, observant, and suspicious. He prioritizes mission discipline and recognizes the danger of impulsive actions. His Hunter abilities allow him to detect the ship’s foul smells, unnatural cold, and ominous atmosphere. The repeated statue links the ship massacre to the earlier mystery involving Old Mrs. Paris.
• Doug: Is shown to be cruel, arrogant, and politically subordinate to a more powerful figure. He casually executes a supposed traitor, becomes anxious when the ship stops responding, and prioritizes recovering the cargo over safety. His slip about “that adult” reveals the existence of an important superior whom he fears disappointing.
• Bridge: His death demonstrates the severity of the supernatural threat aboard the ship and abruptly ends the earlier possibility of his hiring Sifa.
• The Black Tie members: They obey Doug without question, carrying out the execution, preparing the boats, and entering the dangerous ship despite the lack of information.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and ruthless authority: Doug’s execution of the fleeing man shows how loyalty is enforced through fear and violence.
• Reputation and mission priorities: Both Doug and Sifa are concerned with the mission’s success and their standing, but Sifa approaches the issue with discipline while Doug uses brutality and intimidation.
• Hidden power structures: Doug’s reference to an unnamed “adult” hints that the Black Tie organization is part of a larger conspiracy.
• Death and unnatural corruption: The ship’s freezing atmosphere, mutilated corpses, and missing organs create an image of supernatural horror.
• Pleasure entwined with death: The victims’ satisfied expressions suggest a disturbing force connected to desire, indulgence, or ritual sacrifice.
• Recurring supernatural clues: The tree-and-woman statue links the ship massacre to the events in Old Mrs. Paris’s basement, indicating that both incidents may be part of the same hidden threat.

Important Character Interactions

• Sifa and Doug openly challenge each other over authority, risk, and responsibility, establishing a tense relationship in which neither fully trusts the other.
• Doug attempts to assert control through violence, while Sifa counters with calm judgment and warnings.
• Sifa recognizes Bridge on the ship, connecting the current investigation to a prior encounter.
• The discovery of the corpses shifts the interaction between Sifa and Doug from a criminal transaction to a potentially supernatural investigation, with Sifa taking on the role of the more cautious and capable observer.

Chapter Summary: “Bloody Sacrifice”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa recognizes a bizarre statue in the ship’s hold and connects it to the diary from Ain’s farmhouse, particularly the line about needing “a relatively large number of sacrifices.” He realizes the blood-filled hold may be the site of a ritual dedicated to an evil god.
• He destroys the statue with three shots from the Golden Revolver, but unlike the statue in Old Madam Paris’s basement, it produces no blood or supernatural howl. Sifa suspects the ritual may already have been completed.
• Before he can warn the others, an unseen force attacks. It throws objects, hurls people through the air, and violently kills several Black Ties. A broken liquor barrel and spilled kerosene create a serious risk of fire in the hold.
• Sifa urges Doug and the gang to escape. Doug instead tries to use his men as a shield, but most of the Black Ties flee when they realize they are facing an invisible enemy. One gang member is gruesomely torn apart from within.
• On reaching the deck, Sifa senses another threat: someone breathing heavily and suppressing their madness. The gang discovers that their boats have drifted away, leaving them trapped on the ship.
• A tattooed, bronze-skinned man descends from the mast while strangling a Black Tie with a rope. Despite his thin appearance, he possesses extraordinary speed, strength, and combat instincts.
• The tattooed man—whom Sifa identifies as a possible Beyonder—slaughters half the remaining gang members using ropes, harpoons, hooks, discarded weapons, and even a spoon. His behavior is savage and irrational, suggesting that he has lost most of his reason.
• After the Lunatic targets Sifa, Sifa uses a gunshot to cut a rope and drop a sail over him, buying time to escape into the captain’s cabin. The chapter ends with the Lunatic tearing free and charging after him.

Character Developments

• Sifa: Demonstrates sharp investigative insight by connecting the statue to the ritual and the farmhouse diary. He remains calm and practical under extreme danger, choosing retreat over reckless confrontation and using the ship’s environment intelligently to delay the Lunatic.
• Doug: Reveals himself to be cowardly and self-serving. Rather than leading an escape, he attempts to sacrifice his own men to protect himself, though he eventually flees with them.
• The Black Ties: Their confidence collapses when confronted by supernatural threats. Most react by escaping, while those who continue firing are quickly killed.
• The tattooed man/Lunatic: Is introduced as a terrifying, highly capable but mentally unstable figure. His strength, speed, and instinctive use of weapons suggest supernatural abilities, while his cannibalistic violence shows that madness has overwhelmed his reason.
• The invisible enemy: Remains unidentified but establishes itself as another powerful supernatural presence inside the ship.

Significant Themes

• Ritual and sacrifice: The statue, corpses, and diary suggest that the ship is connected to a large-scale occult ritual, possibly already completed.
• Survival versus sacrifice: The gang’s willingness to abandon others contrasts with Sifa’s warning to Doug and his attempt to survive without needlessly sacrificing people.
• Reason versus madness: Sifa relies on observation and tactical thinking, while the tattooed man acts on violent instinct. The chapter repeatedly shows how panic and madness destroy the gang’s ability to respond effectively.
• Hidden supernatural danger: The characters face threats they cannot fully see or understand, emphasizing the terrifying unpredictability of the occult world.
• Power beneath appearances: The frail-looking tattooed man is far more dangerous than the visibly armed gang, reinforcing the danger of underestimating supernatural opponents.

Important Character Interactions

• Sifa silently interprets the statue and ritual before destroying it, while Doug and the Black Ties remain confused.
• Sifa warns Doug to flee, but Doug responds by ordering his bodyguards and men to keep shooting.
• The Black Ties’ fear and disorganization increase as the invisible attacker kills them.
• Sifa observes the tattooed Lunatic from cover, recognizing his abilities and judging him to be powerful but unintelligent.
• When the Lunatic attacks him, Sifa avoids direct combat and uses the sail as a trap, escaping into the captain’s cabin while the Lunatic pursues him.

Chapter Summary: “Shadow Combo”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sifa takes refuge in the captain’s cabin aboard a sailboat, deliberately turning the confined room into a trap for a powerful, apparently Beyonder madman.
• Doug, the leader of Black Tie, follows Sifa into the cabin despite Sifa’s irritation. Sifa positions himself near the shadows while Doug hides behind a chair.
• When the madman breaks through the door, Sifa fires his revolver and wounds him, but the attacker responds by throwing a harpoon that narrowly misses Sifa.
• The madman then crashes through the cabin window and attacks from an unexpected direction. Sifa retreats into darkness and deliberately exposes Doug, using him as a distraction.
• Doug is knocked unconscious against the doorframe, but the madman’s attention is diverted long enough for Sifa to launch a surprise attack from the shadows.
• Sifa uses the Shadow Glove in the darkness to unleash a powerful combination attack. After several normal punches, the glove activates its enhanced ability, summoning multiple demonic shadow fists that relentlessly batter the madman.
• The technique, named Shadow Combo, evolves from Shadow Fist and demonstrates the strength of the Beyonder weapon enhanced by the Mystic Artisan.
• Sifa finishes the attack with a roundhouse kick that sends the madman through the window. However, the opponent escapes into the sea before Sifa can shoot him.
• Fire spreads through the ship, forcing Sifa to abandon it. He later returns to shore, where Doug and several surviving gang members regroup while Black Tie suffers heavy losses.
• Sifa demands payment for his bounty and dismisses Doug’s complaints about losing his goods and men, pointing out that Doug is at least still alive.

Character Developments

• Sifa demonstrates tactical intelligence, patience, and ruthlessness. He uses the cabin’s layout, darkness, and Doug’s presence to compensate for the madman’s superior strength and senses.
• He also shows increasing mastery of the Shadow Glove, discovering and appreciating the spectacular power of Shadow Combo while maintaining his composed “Duke” persona.
• Doug is revealed as resentful, cowardly, and dependent on Sifa for survival. His attempt to stay close to Sifa ends with him being used as bait and knocked unconscious.
• The madman remains almost entirely instinct-driven, relying on brute strength, heightened senses, and relentless attacks rather than strategy. Despite being severely beaten, he survives and escapes.
• Black Tie’s organization is significantly weakened, losing men, equipment, and its vessel.

Significant Themes

• Strategy versus brute force: Sifa defeats a physically superior enemy through planning, positioning, deception, and control of the environment.
• The power of shadows: Darkness is both a literal hiding place and the source of Sifa’s greatest offensive advantage.
• Pragmatism and manipulation: Sifa treats Doug as a tool, sacrificing his safety to create an opening.
• Maintaining an identity: Even amid danger, Sifa remembers to act like a bounty hunter and preserve his Duke persona.
• Moral detachment: Sifa shows little sympathy for Black Tie’s losses, viewing the gang members as criminals who deserve their fate.

Character Interactions

• Sifa and Doug have a tense, distrustful relationship. Doug resents Sifa’s commands, but he must obey because Sifa is his best chance of survival.
• Sifa manipulates Doug into drawing the madman’s attention, then uses the opening to attack.
• Afterward, Doug protests that he has lost his goods and men, but Sifa responds coldly that survival is sufficient compensation.
• Sifa’s confrontation with the madman highlights his ability to exploit an enemy’s instincts and turn the confined cabin into a battlefield.

Chapter Summary: “Believe in the Good”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Inspectors Lewis, Martha, and Jeffrey meet in Room 204 of the Blue Fish Hotel, the site of the recent murder, to review the case.
• Their materials include the case files, Ain’s diary, and a parchment containing an incantation supposedly used by Paris to pray to an evil god.
• The parchment was delivered anonymously to Saint Witte Church by a child. The church cannot identify the child or the person who gave it to him, partly because the priest who spoke with him remembers the encounter poorly.
• The inspectors suspect the parchment may have been taken from Paris’s basement by Sifa, the baron’s son. Sifa was reportedly near the culprit’s room and had entered the basement.
• Lewis notes that Sifa may have hidden the parchment to conceal that he can read Hermesian or that he is a Beyonder. Although Lewis previously examined Sifa in a dream and found no clear evidence that he was a Beyonder, Martha points out that supernatural abilities or mystical items could have concealed the truth.
• Sifa’s recent behavior also raises suspicion. He had a poor reputation before leaving town, but changed significantly after surviving the Alfalfa disaster, which was caused by an Instigator. Soon afterward, he became involved in another supernatural incident.
• Lewis concludes that Sifa may be connected to the supernatural world, though he does not believe Sifa is an evil-god worshipper. Reinforcements arriving the next day will bring tools to examine Sifa again and ensure he has not suffered Loss of Control.
• Before the inspectors can continue, a police chief arrives with urgent news and asks them to investigate another incident.
• Meanwhile, Sifa returns secretly to the baron’s residence after his battle aboard the ship at White Beach. While bathing, he reflects that his Hunter potion has digested further through the Acting Method.
• Sifa reviews what he has learned about being a Hunter: patience, gathering information, understanding prey, and using traps to create advantageous situations before striking. He realizes that the battle on the ship allowed him to act as a Hunter on a deeper level, though his reflection is interrupted at the chapter’s end.

Character Developments

• Inspector Lewis is shown to be cautious but fundamentally optimistic. He is willing to believe Sifa may be just and well-intentioned, but he refuses to let optimism replace proper precautions. His sense of duty leads him to arrange a second examination of Sifa.
• Martha is observant, skeptical, and willing to challenge Lewis’s assumptions. She quickly identifies inconsistencies surrounding the parchment and points out that Sifa could have hidden his abilities.
• Jeffrey contributes information about Sifa and the Alfalfa disaster, though he initially relies on Lewis’s previous conclusion that Sifa is not a Beyonder.
• Sifa continues developing as a Hunter. His survival and success in the recent battle demonstrate increasing mastery of patience, preparation, traps, and tactical manipulation. His growth also makes him more suspicious to the investigators.

Significant Themes

• Faith in goodness versus suspicion: Lewis believes that their work has meaning only if they remain willing to believe in good intentions, even while investigating dark supernatural events.
• Hope balanced by caution: The inspectors do not want to condemn Sifa without proof, but they recognize that supernatural abilities and Loss of Control make unchecked trust dangerous.
• Identity and concealment: The parchment raises questions about hidden powers, secret knowledge, and the lengths people will go to protect their identities.
• Transformation through trauma: Both Sifa’s change after the Alfalfa tragedy and the inspectors’ concerns suggest that supernatural disasters can profoundly alter survivors.
• The Acting Method: Sifa’s reflections emphasize the importance of embodying a potion’s role to digest its power, showing his growing understanding of the Hunter pathway.

Character Interactions

• Lewis leads the discussion and explains the reasoning behind the investigation into Sifa.
• Martha repeatedly questions and expands on Lewis’s theories, especially concerning the parchment, the priest’s memory, and Sifa’s possible abilities.
• Jeffrey offers supporting information and challenges the suspicion of Sifa by recalling Lewis’s earlier dream examination.
• Lewis reassures the others that Sifa may still possess a sense of justice, but insists that the inspectors must verify his condition.
• The chapter ends by contrasting the inspectors’ investigation of Sifa with Sifa’s private self-analysis, setting up a likely confrontation between his hidden identity and their growing suspicions.